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With a little help from your friends:semi-cooperative games via Joker moves
Get PDFThis paper coins the notion of Joker games, a variant of concurrent games where the players are not strictly adversarial. Instead, Player 1 can get help from Player 2 by playing a Joker move. We formalize these games as cost games and develop strategies that minimize the use of Jokers – viewed as costs – to secure a win with the least possible help. Our investigation studies the theoretical underpinnings of these games and their associated Joker strategies. In particular, when comparing our cost-minimal strategies with admissible strategies, we find out that they differ. Moreover, while randomization can be beneficial in conventional concurrent games, it does not aid in winning Joker games, although it can help reduce the number of needed Jokers. We also enhance our framework by introducing a secondary objective, namely by minimizing the number of moves executed by a Joker strategy. Finally, we demonstrate the practical advantages of our approach by applying it to test generation in model-based testing.</p
Thermoelastic Acoustic Emitter in Silicon Nitride Platform for Optomechanics Applications
No full textA framework to quantify the impacts of multi-hazard interactions
No full textHazards do not always occur in isolation. They often interact in space and time, triggering, compounding, or amplifying each other, resulting in complex, cascading impacts. Recent decades have seen a rise in the frequency, intensity, and complexity of such events. Understanding how one hazard can trigger or increase the likelihood of another is essential for realistic risk assessment and effective decision-making. Recognising this, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction have called for integrated, multi-hazard approaches to risk assessment and management. However, despite advances in multi-hazard risk analysis, existing methods still fall short in quantifying the dynamic and interconnected nature of multi-hazards. Traditional approaches have typically focused on single hazards or considered multiple hazards independently, neglecting the ways in which hazards can interact over space and time. This can lead to underestimation of risk.To address these, the study introduces a structured, five-step framework designed to quantify and visualize multi-hazard interactions. The framework begins with the identification of relevant hazards and their potential interrelations, such as triggering, cascading, conditioning and independent. Spatially, the hazards can be overlapping, source and spread or not overlapping and temporal interrelations include simultaneous, consecutive and events after a long time. In the third step, hazard modelling approaches are applied to reflect these interactions. Step four incorporates evolving exposure and vulnerability, accounting for dynamic changes. This emphasizes that disaster impacts are not static, and assets can become vulnerable as events occur. The final step is the impact assessment that accounts for interrelations.The final step is impact assessment that accounts for interrelations. The study also presents a novel visual method that organizes multi-hazard events along a temporal axis and categorical sections for triggers, hazards, and impacts. This framework and visualisation help stakeholders grasp the sequence and interdependence of events, supporting both retrospective analysis and forward-looking perspectives. To demonstrate the framework’s applicability, three real-world case studies are analyzed: the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in Turkey, the 2021 La Soufrière volcanic eruption in Saint Vincent and a case study of Dominica. The results highlight how multi-hazard interactions can have non-linear, compounding effects and alter exposure and vulnerability conditions. By systematically capturing these patterns, the framework not only reconstructs past event sequences but also aids in anticipating future scenarios under evolving conditions
Correction:Features, Outcome, and Treatment of Postanoxic Status Epilepticus: Pooled Analysis of 3 Cohorts (Neurology (2025) 105 4 DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000213913.)
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Operational data collection and analysis for a smart 3D-printed footbridge
Get PDFPurpose – This paper presents the structural monitoring results of the world's first 3D-printed steel footbridge, using a fixed sensor network built into the bridge, to better understand both the behaviour of this novel structure and the way it is used. Design/methodology/approach – The bridge was publicly exhibited and then installed for two years in central Amsterdam. The main features of the sensor network installed to monitor its behaviour are described. The bridge's behaviour was studied using a combination of labelled data collected in controlled conditions at the University of Twente and long-term monitoring during normal use in Amsterdam. Findings – The data collected show that thermal behaviour can be effectively decoupled from the response of the bridge due to pedestrian loading and that the pedestrian movements captured by camera can be anonymized as coordinates, which can be correlated with the loads and strains produced by those pedestrians. The Pearson correlation condition is used to identify the type of movement on the bridge, effectively distinguishing between heel-drops, running and walking movements. Originality/value – The richness of such a dataset is demonstrated, measured using embedded sensors and Internet of Things technology. Analysis of these measurements gives insights into the behaviour of a unique large 3D-printed steel structure and the use of a busy piece of urban infrastructure more generally.</p
Advancing Soil Assessment: Vision-Based Monitoring for Subgrade Quality and Dynamic Modulus
Get PDFAccurate evaluation of subgrade behaviour under dynamic loading is essential for the long-term performance of transport infrastructure. While the Light Weight Deflectometer (LWD) is commonly used to assess subgrade stiffness, it provides only a single stiffness value and may not fully capture the time-dependent response of soil. This study presents an image-based vision system developed to monitor soil surface displacements during loading, enabling more detailed analysis of dynamic behaviour. The system incorporates high-speed cameras and MATLAB-based computer vision algorithms to track vertical movement of the plate during impact. Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the system’s performance, with results compared directly to those from the LWD. A strong correlation was observed (R2 = 0.9901), with differences between the two methods ranging from 0.8% to 13%, confirming the accuracy of the vision-based measurements despite the limited dataset. The findings highlight the system’s potential as a practical and cost-effective tool for enhancing subgrade assessment, particularly in applications requiring improved understanding of ground response under repeated or transient loading
Telepsychiatry in the emergency department:a pilot study on remote psychiatric assessment in the Netherlands
Get PDFBackground: Emergency Departments (EDs) increasingly manage patients in acute psychiatric crisis, often facing delays due to limited on-site psychiatric specialists. Telepsychiatry offers a potential solution, but its feasibility and acceptance in Dutch EDs remain underexplored. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility, technical aspects, and acceptance of telepsychiatry consultations in a Dutch ED setting. Methods: This two-phase observational pilot study was conducted at a large hospital ED in the Netherlands. During a three-month baseline-phase (Aug–Oct 2024), eligible adult patients received standard in-person psychiatric consultations. In the subsequent three-month pilot-phase (Nov 2024–Jan 2025), patients were evaluated via secure video consultation with a remote psychiatrist. To assess feasibility and technical execution, lead times, including consult request and consult start time, time until disposition decision and ED length of stay, were recorded. To further evaluate technical execution and acceptance, patients and ED staff were asked to complete satisfaction questionnaires, after each telepsychiatry consult. Results: Eleven patients were included during the baseline-phase and 17 during the pilot-phase. All telepsychiatry consultations were completed successfully, with only minor technical issues. Patient satisfaction was high, and psychiatrists and ED staff rated the consultations as effective and efficient. Furthermore, mean time from consult request to disposition decision was about an hour less during the telepsychiatry phase (approximately 45 vs. 106 min in the baseline phase). Conclusion: Telepsychiatry in the ED appears feasible, technically reliable, and well accepted by both patients and ED staff. This pilot study supports further exploration of telepsychiatry as a tool to enhance emergency psychiatric care delivery in the Netherlands.</p